


The Second Son

by ARC-TIC (ArticChill)



Category: Dragon Ball
Genre: Bittersweet Ending, Complete, Light Angst, One Shot, Out of Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-22
Updated: 2021-02-22
Packaged: 2021-03-12 18:35:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,297
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29638887
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArticChill/pseuds/ARC-TIC
Summary: Goten learns that life isn't easy as an adult.
Relationships: Trunks Briefs/Mai
Kudos: 3





	The Second Son

**Author's Note:**

> My first fanfic. Any criticism is appreciated.

Goten arrived at his mother's house. "I'm home," he said.   
"Goten," said Chi-Chi. "Look at the TV!"   
A news anchor was sitting on a desk in front of the camera.  
" _This Saturday_ ," he said. " _The son of Bulma, Trunks, will be taking over her role as president of Capsule Corp_."  
Goten felt shocked. 

"Isn't it wonderful," said his mother. "Your friend is going to run a big buisness!"  
He did not feel the same. His childhood friend was going away. "Well, um, I've got to go," Goten said. His mother looked at him.   
"So quickly? You haven't even eaten yet."  
He started panicking. "It's uh, umm, for a job interview." Goten rushed out the door and went flying away from the house.   
"Hmm," said Chi-Chi. "Something's off."

Goten flew over the mountains he lived. He was hyperventalating.   
"C'mon, where is it?"  
After a few seconds of searching, Goten finally found the spot he was looking for. He landed near a hill with a lone blossom tree. Goten fell down and started to cry. 

"Why are you leaving me here, Trunks?" Goten slammed his fist on the ground. He sobbed until he fell asleep on under they shining stars.

Goten went to the city the next day. He looked inside a building.   
"Aah, Mr. Son," said a man in a business suit. "Come in." He sat in an office for a while as the man read his job application.   
"So?"  
The man looked at him. "I'm sorry, but we'll have to refuse you a job here."   
Goten looked at the man. "W-w-why?" The man looked at him. "We can't accept you because you have no prior working experience. Also, it seems you have had no education beyond college."   
Goten stood up. "I understand." He left the building.

He walked through the streets. He saw a young man with lavender hair. "Trunks!" He ran towards him.  
"Oh, Goten," he said. "Glad to see you."   
"Congratulations! Your taking over your mom's company in a three days. Do you want to grab something to eat?"  
"I wish, but I've got a meeting in few minutes." Trunks ran to the corner of the street. "We can talk some other time."  
He flew other in another direction. Goten was alone. Trunks was going on to bigger and better things while he was just some loser without a job. He went to the nearest bar to drink his woes away.

Goten had drank to much. He didn't remember how long he had been there. All he knew is it still didn't drown out the feeling of being a failure. There was no doubt about it. He had no job, girlfriend, and his best friend was leaving him for better things.

He looked back to when he was young and reminisced about his childhood. Oh, what a time it was. Him running through the woods with Trunks. How he would train with Gohan laughing and smiling. He would remember his mother saying, "If you train enough, you can be more powerful than your father."

Now he knew she had lied to him. He could never be as powerful as Goku. Or as smart as Gohan. He was just not as good as them.Goten heard his cell phone ring. He looked at its bright screen. His mother was callling him. He went out the bar to answer it.

"Hello?" he asked  
"Goten, come quick. Its about Buu's dog, Bee."

He arrived at the house as the staff greeted him inside. He was suprised to see his mother, Gohan, and his family. He saw them accompanying Mr. Satan and Buu.

"Goten," said Mr. Satan. "You know a bit about animals, right?"  
"Wild ones, but domesticated ones I'm unsure." He looked closely at Bee and studied its condition. It looked so sad laying there.  
"I'm sorry. It seems like Bee will only live for couple more days."

Buu ran towards the kitchen.   
"Wait!" said Mr. Satan. The last thing he heard was things falling down and sobbing.  
"Will Mr. Buu be alright?" said Pan.  
"He'll be OK," said Videl.  
"Poor doggy."

Goten looked at Bee again. The dog was so close to death. It made him think of the he died. He remembered how stressful fighting Buu was. Him and Trunks had to spend a year in the Room of Spirit of Time, but it was not enough to defeat Evil Buu, even when they fused into Gotenks. 

He remembered awakening on a pathway. He tried to say, Where am I? Goten realized words didn't come out his mouth. If fact he didn't have a mouth, let alone a body. He was one of the many spheres floating on the pathway to the distant check-in station in the clouds.   
_Trunks? Gohan?_ Goten freaked out. _Mommy?_

It was Thursday, the day before Trunks will become the president of Capsule Corp. Goten walked around the city, still trying to find a job somewhere.  
"Hey, Goten." He saw a familiar man with black hair and blue eyes wearing a bandana around his neck.  
"Android 17," Goten said. "We should talk over lunch, I'm starving."  
They went to a local fast food restaraunt and ordered food. "So," Goten asked. "What brings you here?"

"I came to visit my sister and niece," he replied. "I haven't seen them in a long time."  
"I know what you mean. I haven't seen many of my friends since I graduated high school"  
Android 17 slammed down his drink. "Yes. We haven't talked since the Tournament of Power."  
"How come?"  
"I'm busy with work, and she's probably busy taking care of her kid."  
"Me too. No matter how hard I try I can't seem to get a job. They always say its because I don't have a degree. It makes me regret not going to college." Goten looked at 17. "Do you regret anything?"

"Sure. I regret taking my youth for granted. I regret that I didn't do the right things." He looked at his food. "But then again, if it didn't happen, I wouldn't have met you people. 18 would have never met Krillin, and I would probably very different right now."  
"Do you think... that your sister shouldn't have married him?"  
17 stared at him. "What are you talking about? Krillin is a great guy. I wouldn't have a better brother-in-law." He sat up. "Well I've got to go. I assume that you'll pay, as you did ask me to come here."

"Oh! I'm sorry. I'm a bit low on cash."  
"Oh yeah, you have no job. I'll just give you money then." He handed Goten a couple of Zeni. "Goten, you like animals right?"  
"Yeah. They've fascinated me ever since I was a child."  
"Well, you're always welcome at the reserve. I'm sure they'd love to work with someone like you." He walked out the door.

Goten stood there. _A reserve_ , he thought. He didn't really think that he could get a job that aligned with his interests. Most of the time he would ask for money from his relatives. He thought about it for a while. Goten paid for his food and flew home.

Goten stayed up late in his house. He could not just find a way to go to sleep. So he decided fly around the city at night. It looked so peaceful, with only a few windows having light shining out. He eventually found himself in the Capsule Corp houses. He wandered around, until he found himself at Trunks's door. He stared at it for a while until suddenly he felt a gun up to his head.

"Turn around and put your hands in the air if you don't want to get shot," said a female voice.   
He then recognized it was Trunks's girlfriend, Mai.  
"Don't shoot, its me!"  
He turned around and she lowered her gun.  
"Goten, what are you doing here in the middle of the night?" she asked.  
"I was going to ask to same question."

They sat down near the door. "I couldn't get some sleep," she said. "Tommorow's going to be a big day for him. It's kind of scary, don't you think?"  
"I know. I fear that I'm never going to see him again."  
Mai looked at him. "Well, it's not like he's dying tomorrow. And we should cheer him on, right?"  
"I...don't know. I feel like he's already forgotten me."  
"Look, Trunks is a good man. I'm sure that he would never forget about his best friend."  
Goten looked at her. "You really think so?"  
"Of course, You're like a brother to him." She stood up. "Well, I've got to go. I don't want people to think I tried to rob anything here." She ran way from the building.

' _Your like a brother to him._ ' The quote echoed in his mind. Goten flew towards his home on Mount Paozu. He opened the door and started. He heard his mother come out.  
"Goten its 2 in the morning what are you-"  
He hugged Chi-Chi and cried on her shoulder.  
"Goten," she said. "Why are you crying? You are a grown adult."  
"Its just that....I'm scared."  
"Why? there's nothing to be afraid of. Earth is safe, your father is training someone...Oh. This is about Trunks, right?"  
He stopped holding his mother and nodded. He wiped the tears from his eyes.  
"Goten, you can't stay a kid forever. Look at your father. Going around asking everyone for a fight."  
He wiped away the last of his tears. "Okay, mom. I feel better now."   
"Finally, I can get some rest." She went back into her bedroom. 

Goten went into his bed. He was unsure how he felt about tomorrow. He can't stop the passage of time, but he had to fight it head on. He finally felt tired and went to sleep.

Goten got out of his bed and put on his formal attire. He didn't think it suited him. His family had a knack for having uncombable hair. He walked out to meet his mother.  
"Oh, Goten. If you dressed more like that, then I'm sure you'll find a girl in no time."

They hopped into their old car and drove to the city. He looked at the children on the streets going to cram school. He looked at all their colorful and unique backpacks. Goten never got traditional schooling. He either go tutored or homeschooled by his mother. It made him wonder where he would go if he were still their age.

They arrived at the Capsule Corp building. He didn't expect so many people would come. He saw familiar faces like his brother and his family and his father's friends, but he also saw many people he wasn't familiar with. He assumed they were business people associated with Capsule Corp.

A blue haired, 50-year old woman walked up to them.  
"Well looked who showed up," said Bulma. "Goten, you must as proud as I am for Trunks."  
Goten looked at her. "Yeah, I guess I am."  
They took seats and looked towards the podium. Bulma stood up in a stand and began to speak. 

"Hello everyone it has been an honor having you here today. As you know today is a big day for the Capsule Corporation."

Many people around them applauded.

"It has been great running this company, like my father before me once did. But today is the day for the next generation to step up. I present to you my son, Trunks."

More applause came from the audience. Bulma moved out the way as a young man with lavender hair walked up to the podium.

"First of all, I would like to thank everyone for coming here. Secondly, I'd like to thank my family and friends for helping me get here. Without their help, I would not be where I am today."

Goten and Chi-Chi applauded.

"Today marks a new era for the Capsule Corporation. I will do everything in my power to live up to my predecessors. Starting today, I will accept the responsibilities of preseident."

Everyone stood up and cheered.  
He heard a girl's voice yell, "That's my big brother!"

He looked around and saw Mai trying to hold back her tears. Goten found himself struggling from crying as well. That was Trunks. His friend since childhood, now the president of Capsule Corp. He couldn't believe it. He was truly proud for him.

"Are you going to be OK? Chi-Chi asked. "Do you need anything else?"

It had been two weeks since Trunks's inauguration. Goten decided it was time for him ton move out of his mother's home.

"I'm OK. Besides," he said, motioning to a giant bag. "You've already given me enough food for lunch."  
"I just can't believe another one of my sons are moving away."

He remembered how sad she was when Gohan moved. It made him feel regretful leaving her alone. He almost wanted to stay with her just a little longer.

"Mom," he said. "I'm not a little boy anymore. I think its finally time I grow up."  
"Goten, you can come back anytime, alright?"  
"OK, mom." He slung his bags on his back. "See ya."

He flew away from his childhood home. He flew for a while until his stomach groaned.  
"Aw man. Should've aten breakfast."

He stopped at a familiar blossom tree and unpacked his lunch. After he finished eating, he pulled out the paper with the reservation's location.

"Wow. I don't remember it being this far."  
He looked at the blossom tree. He noticed its light pink petals falling off, as if they were dancing to a bittersweet melody. Goten looked back in the direction of his house.  
"Sayonara, Mount Paozu. Until we meet again."

He flew away from his home, happy about where he left off.


End file.
